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New York, United States – Zein Rimawi says he is not a big fan of football, but when asked about his choice for the FIFA World Cup final, Rimawi replied: “Spain.”
“You don’t have to finish the question,” the 72-year-old told Al Jazeera.
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Sitting in his office in the Bay Ridge area of New York with the Palestinian flag behind him, Rimawi said football cannot be separated from politics.
“I support countries that support our cause, especially for the Palestinian cause,” added Rimawi, who chairs the non-profit Arab American Federation.
His help in Spain, who will struggle with Argentina in the most expensive football tournament on Sunday, it is similar to what many Arab Americans of America.
Here, Palestinian symbols – paintings, keffiyeh designs, tatreez ornaments and watermelons – appear almost everywhere.
This region is called Little Palestine, but in reality, it is a melting pot of Arab-Americans and other immigrants from all over the world.
It’s the last thing happening next door New JerseyThe threat of the World Cup is growing in Bay Ridge.
Palestinian restaurants, Yemeni restaurants, Lebanese supermarkets and corner shops all have flags of the participating groups.
Although the tournament has become a football festival, Rimawi called it a “political rally”.
Therefore Spain, which recognized the State of Palestine in 2024 and has been strongly opposed to Israel’s terrorist war in Gaza, is a natural choice for Arab fans, he said.
“I didn’t know who it was Hossam Hassan he was,” he said, referring to the Egyptian head coach.
“But when he raised the Palestinian flag, I immediately became a fan.”
‘We are Spanish with all our hearts’
Across 5th Avenue at Al Reef Bakery, Talal Abdraboh had a similar take.
He said that Spain’s support for the Palestinian people and the presence of Arabs in Andalusia for many years made the team endearing to local fans.
“It is not about favoring Argentina. If any non-Arab team faced Spain, we would support Spain,” he said.
“We are Spanish with all our hearts.”
The bakery has a large picture of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and another of a Palestinian woman baking with the words of the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, “I long for my mother’s bread.”
“The Arabs are concentrated in this World Cup, especially the Arab teams playing,” Abdraboh told Al Jazeera as he cut bread in vertical rows.
“All the Arab fans were raising the Palestinian flag. So, when every Arab team played, we called them as Palestinians.”
Of the eight Arab teams that participated in the 2026 tournament, Morocco went the distance before losing to France in the quarterfinals.
Egypt reached the round of 16, but lost after blowing a two-goal lead against Argentina amid much controversy. referee decisions which included disallowing an Egyptian goal for a minor foul in preparation after a VAR review.
Arab League
For many Arab New Yorkers, the race represented community unity.
Mahmoud Kasem, the owner of Al-Aqsa Bakery, has installed a large TV outside his restaurant and offers free falafel at major Arab sports events, attracting Bay Ridge residents.
“It’s not all about business. I love football. Around the Arab world, we are attracted to this game. I wanted to create a beautiful place like we do in Palestine. Put the TV outside and tell people, ‘Come and see,'” Kasem told Al Jazeera.
“The beauty of it is seeing Palestinians, Lebanese, Moroccans, Jordanians, everyone coming together. I love unity. I love people and being together.”
He added that he wants Arab leaders to follow the example of people abroad and remove borders and conflicts.
Kasem said he encouraged police officers who complained that his show partially blocked the road to drop their complaints, and started the celebrations that took place in the city when the New York Knicks won. NBA Championship.
Like many people in Bay Ridge, Kasem is hoping to win in Spain on Sunday. He emphasized the similarity of Arab and Spanish culture, language and music and praised the role of the government in Madrid.
“When Palestine was bombed, they did something. When Lebanon was bombed, they did something,” he told Al Jazeera. “They stand with humanity. They stand with freedom.”
Kasem added that many Palestinians support Real Madrid and Barcelona in club football matches.
Beyond the Spanish government, many Spanish celebrities and footballers have expressed solidarity with Palestine.
Last year, the Basque Athletic Club – home of Spanish player Unai Simon and winger Nico Williams – called for an end to Gaza.
Kasem said that politics should be separated from football, but it was FIFA that politicized the sport after giving US President Donald Trump his inauguration. The Peace Prize and stopping Russia from invading Ukraine while refusing to stop Israel from killing people in Gaza.
Argentina-Israel vibes
Some supporters linked the Argentine team to Israel because of the pro-Israel policies of the President’s government Javier Melei.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also expressed support for Argentina. Israeli flags were also seen during Argentina and Egypt matches.
But the Argentine team and players did not take part in the dispute.
In 2018, Argentina canceled a friendly match against Israel in Jerusalem after pressure from Palestinian activists.
So some Arab Americans still support Argentina, arguing that the magic that Lionel Messi exudes transcends politics.
Karim Bouzeraa, a 24-year-old barber in Bay Ridge, said Israeli flags do not represent Argentine soccer.
“Messi is a legend,” he told Al Jazeera. “20 years of competition is not an easy thing. We have seen other legends, but no one lives as long.”
Bouzeraa said that regardless of who was cheering for whom in the final, it was encouraging to see Arab fans rallying behind their respective teams in the tournament.
“At the end of the day, we are all Arabs – one blood. We hope that in the next World Cup we will see more Arab teams, so we can help them,” he said.
